Curtain fixture



W. S. HAMM CURTAIN FIXTURE Jam 14,, 313% Filed Jan. 14,. 1935 PatentedJan. 14, 1936 UNITED STATES QURTAIN MIXTURE Illinois Application January14, 1935, Serial No. 1,681

2 Claims.

The object of this invention is to provide an improved curtain fixturefor use with car window curtains of the balanced roller type.

The improved fixture will insure a smooth up and down movement of thecurtain in the plane of the guides, will not bind when the curtain ispushed up or down suddenly at one side only, and will always remain inproper working position with respect to the guides.

While the foregoing statements are indicative in a general way of thenature of the invention, other more specific objects and advantages willbe apparent to those skilled in the art upon a full understanding of theconstruction, arrangement and operation of the improved fixture.

One form of the invention is presented herein for the purpose ofexemplification, but it will of course be appreciated that the inventionis susceptible of embodiment in other structurally modified forms comingequally within the scope of the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawing:

Fig. 1 is a vertical section through the guide at one side of thecurtain, showing one of the heads of. the fixture in the guide;

Fig. 2 is a different vertical section, taken at right angles to Fig. 1on the line 22 of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 3 is a horizontal section, taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

As will be observed in the drawing, the assembly includes a curtain l ofthe spring-balanced roller type, which curtain is provided at its loweredge with a hem H. in which a rather heavy metal rod i2 is positioned.The weight of the rod 12 in this type of curtain is such as to sub:-stantially counterbalance the pull of the spring roller at the top: ofthe curtain and thereby permit the curtain to remain in any position inwhich placed without relying upon gripping devices at the ends of therod for holding the curtain against upward movement.

The rod i2 is provided at its ends with narrow vertically elongatedbrackets l3 which project into sheet metal guide channels M at the sidesof the curtain. The channels I 4 are provided at their edges withinturned flanges [5 which form constricted openings for the channels,and the brackets l3 are of such reduced width at the entrances to thechannels as to pass freely into the same. Within the channels verticallyextending strips l6 of leather or other suitable material are attachedby countersunk rivets H to the upper and lower ends of the brackets l3.These strips l6 are much wider than the brackets I3 and are considerablylonger than the brackets, substantially filling the channels [4 andextending quite a distance above and below the upper and lower ends; orthe brackets.

The strips 16 will move freely and smoothly up and down in the channelsM, without any possibility of noise, and with a cushion-like action. Thebrackets I3 on the ends of the rod are kept by the strips out ofengagement at all times with the channels, and the overlapping relationof the flanges l5 of the channels with respect to the sides of thestrips IE will prevent the strips from coming out of the channels.Should the bottom of the curtain be struck sharply at either side by aperson in endeavoring to raise the curtain, the strips will not come outof the guides and the braking action of the upper and lower ends of thestrips in flexing: above and below the brackets when the rod is thuscanted will prevent any binding of the fixture and merely provide acushioned braking action at the end struck which will provide atemporary fulcrum for bringing the rod into a horizontal position beforecontinuing its upward movement.

In. other words, when either end of the rod I2 is forced upwardly, theupper and lower extensions: of the strip 16 at that end of the rod willbe flexed in opposite directions in remaining within the channel, andthis flexing of the unsupported projecting tips of the strips inopposite directions, engaging with the back of the channel above thebracket and the inturned flanges of the channel below the bracket, willprovide a gentle braking action which will bring the upwardly movingend} of the rod temporarily to rest until the inertia of the weight ofthe other end has been overcome and the other end has moved up farenough to bring the rod into a horizontal position, from which positionthe rod is left free to move upwardly.

I claim:

1. In shade construction having a shade and a vertically disposed guideat one side thereof containing a channel with a constricted opening; ahorizontally extending rod at the lower edge of the shade, a narrowbracket at one end of the rod projecting through the constricted openinginto the channel in the guide, and a strip of slightly flexible materialwhich is wider than the bracket and the opening in the channel and isattached to the bracket inside of the channel in a position extendinglongitudinally of the latter, said strip substatntially filling thechannel and extending a considerable distance above and below the upperand lower edges of the bracket whereby to provide in effeet longflexible tips on the bracket within the channel for frictional coactionwith the walls of the channel upon the bracket being moved by the rodinto an out-of-normal position.

2. In shade construction having a balanced shade and a verticallydisposed guide at one side thereof containing a channel with aconstricted opening; a horizontally extending rod at the lower edge ofthe shade, a narrow vertically elongated bracket at one end of the rodprojecting through the constricted opening into the channel in theguide, and a flexible strip of leather which is considerably wider andlonger than the portion of the bracket projecting through the openingand is secured to the bracket within the channel, said bracket beingrigid with the end of the rod in a position at right angles thereto, andsaid flexible strip substantially filling the channel and being fixedlymounted on the bracket with approximately the upper and lower thirds ofthe strip projecting respectively without support above and below theupper and lower ends of the bracket, whereby to provide flexible tips onthe bracket within the channel for frictional coaction with the walls ofthe channel upon the bracket and rod being moved into an out-of-normalposition.

WILLIAM: S. I-IAMM.

